Category Archives: Social Protection

Recent changes to social protection supports will benefit both self-employed workers and employees across Galway and Mayo. The changes include the extension, for the first time ever, of the Invalidity Pension Scheme to self-employed workers. My colleague, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty TD confirmed to me that the extension of the… Continue Reading

The ‘Making Work Pay’ Report has been launched and will, I believe, help support more people with disabilities in Galway and Mayo into the workplace. Launched by Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar and Minister for Health, Simon Harris the ‘Making Work Pay’ Report was compiled by an interdepartmental group chaired by economist, Professor Frances… Continue Reading

Reforms to the PRSI system introduced this week mean that self-employed people, such as small business-owners and farmers, will for the first time be entitled to benefits under the Department of Social Protection’s Treatment Benefit Scheme. The extension of the Treatment Benefit Scheme to self-employed people is very significant and will benefit over 12,100 people… Continue Reading

Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources and Fine Gael TD for Galway West and Mayo South, Seán Kyne has welcomed the results from Galway’s Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and Mayo’s LEO for 2016 which resulted in 79 and 116 across the counties respectively. The figures show that Galway’s LEO has worked with… Continue Reading

Figures from my colleague Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar show that participants in the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) are twice as likely to be in full employment after six months than those who did not take part. The figures are from a study published by Minister Varadkar which compared people who had stayed… Continue Reading